Last verified: 26 Aug 2026

China Customs: Duty-Free Allowances, Cash Rules and Declarations

Most travelers entering China don't have to declare anything – no form, no counter, straight through the green channel. This page sums up China's current customs rules in one table – how much tobacco, alcohol and cash you can bring in duty-free – plus a quick check at the bottom for whether any of the 11 reasons that require a written declaration apply to you.

At a Glance

What it covers	Standard	From Hong Kong/Macao	Frequent travelers
Duty-free allowance	Residents: 5,000 CNY (≈ $560) · non-residents: 2,000 CNY (≈ $224)	12,000 CNY (≈ $1,345), and up, resident in China	Travel necessities only – no flat allowance
Cigarettes	400 pieces	200 pieces	40 pieces
Cigars	20 pieces	10 pieces	2 pieces
E-cigarettes	2 devices or 6 cartridges, total ≤ 12 ml combined liquid	1 device or 3 cartridges, ≤ 6 ml	1 device or 1 cartridge, ≤ 2 ml, once/day only
Alcohol (>12% ABV)	1.5 liters	0.75 liters	Not allowed duty-free
Cash	RMB ≤ 20,000 (≈ $2,242) · foreign-currency declaration required from 5,000 USD	Same rules as standard	RMB ≤ 20,000 (≈ $2,242) · foreign currency must be declared on every entry

Frequent travelers = anyone entering China more than once within 15 days. None of the above allowances apply to minors under 18 – only travel necessities are duty-free. USD amounts are rough orientation values at the exchange rate of 31 Jul 2026 (1 USD ≈ 9) and fluctuate. Figures per Announcement No. 43/2025 of the General Administration of Customs of the PRC (full text, Chinese, via gov.cn),in force since 1 Apr 2025.

The Duty-Free Allowance in Detail

If you live outside China and enter as an ordinary tourist, goods you acquired abroad for personal use are duty-free up to a value of 5,000 CNY (≈ $560). If you plan to stay in China long-term (a "non-resident traveler" in the regulation's terms), the limit is 2,000 CNY (≈ $224). At ports of entry with duty-free shops, purchases made there count toward the same limit, up to a combined 8,000 CNY (≈ $897).

If you enter via Hong Kong or Macao and are 18 or older with residence in China, a higher allowance of 12,000 CNY (≈ $1,345) applies, combined with duty-free shopping up to 15,000 CNY (≈ $1,681). None of these allowances apply to frequent travelers (more than one entry within 15 days) or to minors under 18 – for them, only what's clearly for personal travel needs is duty-free.

E-Cigarettes: the Rule Almost Nobody Knows

Disposable and pod e-cigarettes have their own, often-overlooked limit: as a standard traveler you may bring 2 devices or 6 cartridges, but no more than 12 ml of e-liquid in total. Entering via Hong Kong or Macao halves that to 1 device or 3 cartridges and 6 ml. Frequent travelers may bring only 1 device or 1 cartridge with at most 2 ml, once per day.

Buying a multi-pack of disposable vapes at duty-free crosses the cartridge or milliliter limit faster than you'd think. More than allowed counts as "more than the duty-free allowance" (Reason 7 below) and makes the written declaration mandatory.

Bringing Cash Into and Out of China

Chinese renminbi is capped at 20,000 CNY (≈ $2,242) per person on entry and exit. For foreign currency, you must file a written declaration from a value of 5,000 USD upward; if you enter or exit more than once on the same day or within a short period, the declaration requirement applies regardless of the amount.

When leaving China with foreign currency worth between 5,000 and 10,000 USD, you need a bank-issued "Foreign Currency Carrying Permit" in advance; above that amount, approval from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange is required as well.

When Do You Actually Have to Declare?

Chinese customs lists 11 cases on the entry declaration form that require a written declaration. If none of them apply to you, you go through the green channel without a form – the normal case for an ordinary vacation trip with a suitcase and a laptop.

1. Prohibited goods
Drugs, weapons, ammunition, counterfeit branded goods, politically or religiously sensitive material.
2. Items or quantities requiring a permit
Radio equipment, transmitters, drones with a radio module, larger quantities of prescription medication.
3. Animals, plants and products made from them
Sausage, ham, cheese, fresh fruit, seeds, plants, pets, wood souvenirs.
4. Blood, tissue, biological products
Human or animal blood, tissue samples, biological products.
5. Items from a quarantine area
Goods originating from a country or region classified by the Chinese authorities as a quarantine area.
6. More cash than allowed
Over 20,000 CNY (≈ $2,242), or foreign currency worth more than 5,000 USD.
7. More than the duty-free allowance
Goods worth over 5,000 CNY (≈ $560) (non-residents: 2,000 CNY, ≈ $224), or more cigarettes, e-cigarettes or alcohol than in the table above.
8. Trade goods, samples, advertising material
Goods that are clearly not for personal use but intended for sale or as business samples.
9. Unaccompanied baggage
Baggage transported separately from the traveler, e.g. as freight or mail.
10. Equipment being re-exported
Professional or technical equipment (e.g. camera gear, measuring instruments) declared for temporary import and taken out again later.
11. Anything else subject to a legal declaration requirement
A catch-all for anything else that Chinese law otherwise requires to be declared.

A shorter list of 8 (not 11) items applies on exit – among other differences, the points on animal/plant quarantine and unaccompanied baggage drop out. For the large majority of readers – entering China – the list above is the one that matters.

Green or Red Channel: How It Works at the Airport

After baggage claim you'll find two signposted exits. If none of the 11 reasons apply to you, you go through the green channel ("Nothing to Declare") and don't need to show anything. If at least one reason applies, you go through the red channel and hand in the completed declaration there.

The Baggage Declaration Form, In Case You Need It

The form is officially called the "Declaration Form of Inbound/Outbound Passenger's Baggage of the Customs of the People's Republic of China" (中华人民共和国海关进出境人员行李物品申报单). You get it as a paper form at the customs counter, or fill it out electronically in advance – via the mini-programs of Chinese customs in WeChat or Alipay, or via npc.chinaport.gov.cn. It asks for personal details, flight data and the 11 checkboxes from above, plus a list of the items you're carrying if needed. Click to enlarge.

Front side of the China customs baggage declaration form, with fields for personal details, flight data and the 11 entry checkboxes — Front side: this is where you check off what you need to declare.

Back side of the China customs baggage declaration form, with the official duty-free allowances for tobacco, alcohol and cash in English — Back side: all duty-free allowances in the original – tobacco, e-cigarettes, alcohol, cash.

Form of the General Administration of Customs of the PRC, version in force since 1 Apr 2025 ( Announcement No. 43/2025 of the General Administration of Customs of the PRC (full text, Chinese, via gov.cn)).

Sources

FAQ

How many cigarettes can I bring into China?

As a standard traveler, 400 cigarettes, or 20 cigars, or 500 g of cut tobacco. Entering via Hong Kong or Macao halves that to 200. Anyone carrying more must declare it in writing under "more than the duty-free allowance" (Reason 7).

How many e-cigarettes can I bring into China?

As a standard traveler, 2 devices or 6 cartridges, with a combined e-liquid volume of at most 12 ml. Entering via Hong Kong or Macao halves that to 1 device or 3 cartridges and 6 ml. More than that counts as "more than the duty-free allowance" (Reason 7) and makes the declaration mandatory.

Can I bring sausage, ham or cheese?

Practically speaking, no. Meat and dairy products from abroad fall under the import ban on animal products (Reason 3) regardless of quantity or packaging. That also applies to vacuum-packed or branded goods bought at home.

How much cash can I bring in at most?

For RMB, the limit is 20,000 CNY (≈ $2,242) per person per entry. For foreign currency, you must file a written declaration from a value of 5,000 USD upward – if you enter more than once within 15 days, the declaration requirement applies regardless of the amount.

What happens if I don't declare something I should have?

Customs can confiscate the goods, issue a fine, or in serious cases pursue criminal charges – for example with cash well above the allowance or prohibited substances. When in doubt: declare rather than guess, and take the red channel rather than the green one.

Do I have to fill out the form already on the plane?

Only if at least one of the 11 reasons above applies to you – then you fill out the paper form or complete the electronic declaration in advance via the mini-programs of Chinese customs in WeChat or Alipay, or via npc.chinaport.gov.cn. If none of the reasons apply, you go through the green channel without a form.